NBC confirms 'Heroes' axe

Heroes has been axed after four seasons, NBC has confirmed.

The series, created by Tim Kring, was a breakout hit in its first season, averaging 14.3 million viewers. During its sophomore season - cut down to just 11 episodes by the writers' strike - the show was criticised for its elaborate and drawn-out plots, and the ratings began to drop off slightly, averaging 13.1 million across the season.

During the third season, the audience declined significantly to an average of just 9.3 million, and by the time the fourth - and ultimately final - season had wrapped, the viewership had dipped as low as 3.9 million.

The show's cast included Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Zachary Quinto and Ali Larter.

Although the future of Heroes had been in doubt for some time, recent speculation suggested that NBC was close to bringing it back for a final, 13-episode fifth season.

The network has instead picked up a new trio of genre shows, including JJ Abrams' spy drama Undercovers, Summer Glau's The Cape and paranormal thriller The Event.

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